far from my house in castle street. by this means our young artist furnishd his apartment with pictures of his own making. some he invented, some copyed from prints: some he did from the life, by memory chiefly, as that of his master Stokes. I have one of them, which happen'd to be preserv'd.
he drew several heads of k. C. I., of Dr. Donne, & others. He made a picture of k. C. I., & wrote these verses underneath, as Mrs. Vincent of this town repeated them to me, by memory.
- A secret art my soul prepares to try,
- If prayers can give me, what the wars deny.
- three crowns distinguishd here in order, doe
- present thir objects, to my doubtful view.
- Earths crown thats at my feet, I can disdain:
- which heavy is, & at the best but vain.
- but now a crown of thorns I gladly greet,
- sharp is this crown, but not so sharp as sweet.
- the radiant crown, which I above me see,
- is that of glory, & eternity.
she fancyed, & aver'd it, that he composd 'em himself. I rather suppose, he copyed the print from the frontispiece of Eikon Basilice.
these pictures, & drawings he made frames for, them himself, & color'd them over workman like. nothing was too difficult for his invention, & execution.
